Todd Boehly responds to Cristiano Ronaldo exit plan after Chelsea transfer meeting

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is considering launching an extraordinary bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo this summer after the Manchester United superstar told his club he would like to leave, according to reports.

On Saturday, Ronaldo told United he would like to pursue a new challenge - just one year on from his return to Old Trafford - after United failed to qualify for the Champions League.

At Sporting Lisbon, United, Real Madrid and Juventus, Ronaldo has played in each of the last 19 Champions League campaigns. He is the top scorer in the competition's history and has not been absent from Europe's top table since the 2002/03 term, when he represented Sporting in the UEFA Cup.

Adding to the concern for United as their talismanic forward pushes to leave, a Premier League rival is ready to pounce. That is according to The Athletic, which reports Boehly is intrigued by what happens next for Ronaldo and Chelsea are considering making a move for the 37-year-old. This update comes after the Blues owner held talks with Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes.

Despite Ronaldo’s stance, United have made it clear that they are not putting their 2021/22 top scorer up for sale. However, Boehly and Chelsea director Behdad Eghbali are keeping close tabs on the situation, with the striker not joining pre-season training with United on Monday due to family reasons.

Further, Thomas Tuchel is an admirer of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Any move for Ronaldo would require the manager's blessing and an assurance of how he would fit into his set-up, especially as Tuchel failed to get the best out of £97.5million club-record signing Romelu Lukaku last term.

Although United have so far stood firm on Ronaldo, Chelsea’s hierarchy are reportedly